Remove Steering shaft with Security Cam in Place - Solved (1 Viewer)

[BreckenridgeCruiser]

Hey! Does anyone know a trick for getting the steering lock to release without the key? I have the column disassembled, but the cam is in place and I cannot remove the key cylinder.

Column is out of an 83 40 series.

I'm not looking forward to $100 for a locksmith if anyone knows another way!

 

[BreckenridgeCruiser]

So... Figured it out and thought I would post up in case anyone else finds themselves in the same predicament...

So first, I didn't care about keeping the lock cylinder but didn't want to damage the switch housing and steering shaft cam and lock.

My steering lock has a housing with a pin hole that is the lock cylinder retention pin. Usually, you can turn the key to ACC and then push in the pin and the cylinder slides right out. Without being able to turn the key, that pin will not push in and therefore the cylinder is firmly in place.

My solution was to find a punch that was sized to push the pin in without damaging the housing. Place the punch on the pin and hit it with increasing force with a hammer. I used a pretty heavy hammer, but it didn't take a lot to break the pin. No need to 'Hulk Smash!'.

With the pin pushed in, the cylinder slides out and you can then use a screwdriver to rotate the cam inside the housing to release the security block that slides into the slot on the shaft that prevents rotation.

Hope this helps someone in the future!